Traction-machine.



S. A. & L. 0. GRANT.

TRACTION MACHINE.

APPLICATION nun OCT. 20, 1011 1 ,O34:,907. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

WITNESSES.- INVENTORS,

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ATTORNEY.

sonville, in the county of State of Connecticut, have invented certa n v as will hereinafter, ap

UNITED. amines Barnum orator.

SIDNEY A. GRANT AND LEWIS C. GRIIANF-r OF TI'IOMPSONVILLE, CONNEC TICUT- macrxon-macmnn.

Specification o1 heaters.Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

erp qatiez 1 a 9 M229 mua e; e.- ewe.-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SIDNEY A. GRANT and LEWIS C. GRA T, citizens of the United.

States of America, and resideplts of'Thomp artflo rd and.

power, and notwithstanding the resistance.

which may be imposed by the penetratmn, into and movement through soil or ice blades, plows or tools, there will be no sli' ping of the machine, but on the other ban a certainty of its forward travel.

Other objects are attained in and by the, construction and arrangement of the parts The invention is desr sibed in conjunction with the accompanying drawing a d $Q forth in the claims.

In the drawings :Figures 1 and, 2 are respectively a plan view, and a side elevation of our improved machine.

In the drawings, A represents a substantially horizontal frame havin' at an"'intermediate portion thereof a sha t B mounted in suitablejournal bearings thereon and having fixed on such shaft, about midway between the opposite sides of the frame, a comparatively large traction wheel 0. The frame forward of the wheel C has. an engine or motor D and its equipments mounted thereon; and the frame,'about as far to the rear of'the wheel C as the engine is forward thereof has the depending pedestals a a in which are fitted the hangers b b for com paratively small caster wheels or rollers (Z d.

E, Fig. 2, represents the engine shaft having a small spur gear or pinion e thereon which meshes into a larger spur gear wheel fon a countershaft F above the engine shaft; and on this countershaft is also aflixed a s rocket wheel 9 which runs a sprocket chain G which also runs around a larger sprocket. wheel. It allin ed on the tract-ion wheel shaftv In a suitable depending support centrally of. the frame A at" aconsiderabledistance to the rear of, wheel C, is an idler wheel J, the lower peripheral surface of which is approximately at the ground level, the same as 1s the lower peripheral. surface of 'the large wheels C; and, around both of these wheels, in suitable ten'sion'is run an endless flexible element, K herein termed a band; but it may be, as a matter of reference or selection, either an endless chain, the same being one preferably of consi 'erable'width so as to have a comparatively hroadhsurface bearing and also considerable lengt wise bearing on the ground between the bottom of the large traction wheels 0 and the bottom of the idler wheel J.

In't-he' operation of the machine, the engine running, the axle B will, through the drivin f connectlons shown, be rotated and with it the large wheel' C and successive portions of the band K will be laid down on the ground to form between the bottoms of the wheels C and J a track which is immovable relatively to the ground, aving comparat vely long bearing, thereon and reat fricti onal engagement therewith. And the turning action'of the large wheel C is effective for the propulsion of the machine or vehicle relatively to the band, the wheel C as it advances laying, down new portions of such band, while under the advance of the machine s gi'eata portion 'ofthe band as is newly aid down in advance of the large wheel C- is athered up, carried around the idler J and then forwardly moved to and around the large wheel i From the foregoing it is to be understood, and it is here emphasized that the lower course or portion of the band between the bottoms of the wheels C and J has no progressive movement on the ground. In other words, it is stationary relative'to the ground and affords a medium of frictional Contact with the latter for the length of the entire horizontally laid portion thereof and forms a resistant of the stated length which is not liable, by reason of its long bearing surface on the ground, to slide or slip rearwardly and relatively to which the large wheel C is cooperative for the most effective forward propulsion of the vehicle or machine as a whole.

Q oaaeov power by reason of the counterbalanclng effect of the motor and its equi ments which are located forward of thew eel C,

the axle for which constitutes a fulcrum for the lever like frame A, A.

Although under the present invention we are not limited to any particular type of;

engine or motor nor to the means for the controlling of the same, nor to thetools or implements which; are carried thereby, it will be pointed out in the present illustrations that an operating rod m is connected with the carbureter N forv throttling the same, such rod having an operating bell crank lever m? pivotally mounted on the handle frame at the rear of the machine. There is also mounted on the handle frame at the rear of the machine a manually operable thrust rod 12- which by the bell crank n has operative connection with the long lengthwise extending rod of, the forward end of which is connected with a clutch operating lever 11. through means of which the engine driving shaft may be rendered nonoperative for the propulsion of the traction wheel" P represents a gasolene tank and o a pipe connecting it with the carbureter of. the engine D, here understood as of the gases lene type with provisions, as usual, for the ignition of. the gaseous charges introduced thereinto.

We claim 1. In combination, a frame adapted to carry a plow at the rear end thereof, an

axle mounted intermediate of the ends of said frame, a traction wheel journaled on the axle, handles mounted on the rear end of said frame, a wheel journaled below the frame and intermediate of the handles and the traction wheel, and a traction bandmovable over the wheels.

2. In combination, a frame adapted to carry a plow at the rear end thereof, an axle mounted intermediate of the ends of said frame, a traction wheel journaled on the axle, plow handles mounted on the rear'end of said frame, a wheel journaled below the frame and intermediate cf the handles and traction wheel, and a traction band movable over the wheels, and ada ted to engage the ground below said whee s, and to have its portion engaging with said intermediate wheel elevated, when the rear end of the frame is tilted upwardly.

3. In combination, a handles on its rear end and adapted to carry a plow on said rear end, an axle located intermediate of the ends of the frame, a traction wheel journaled on the axle, and supporting the frame for-tilting, a wheel located below the frame andvrearwardly of the traction wheel, a traction band movable over the wheels, a motor mounted onthe frame. forwardly of the traction wheel, a driving connection between the motor and the traction wheel, controlling means for said motor including a rod extending rearwardly to the handles, and means arranged on said handles for operating said rod. a

4. In combination, a' frame having handles on its rear end and adapted to carry a. plow on said rear end, an axle mounted frame having on said frame intermediate of its opposite ends, a traction wheel on the axle, a wheel located below said frame rearwardly of the traction wheel, a traction band movableover the wheels, a-inotor mounted on the forward end of the frame and adapted to balance the rear end thereof when said rear end is weighted with a plow, a driving connection-between the motor and the traction SIDNEY A. GRANT. LEWIS o. GRANT.

Witnesses:

WM. S. BEnLows, G."R. DRISCOLL. 

